Franklin Dean
On Wednesday, February 27, 2019, Michael Cohen, President Trump's former fixer and personal lawyer, testified before the House Oversight Committee. Cohen's testimony covered Trump's business conduct, including his alleged prior knowledge of WikiLeaks' plan to publish hacked Democratic National Committee emails, and his involvement in a scheme to pay off an adult-film actress who claimed to have had an affair with him. Cohen also faced scrutiny for his past lies and misstatements, with Trump's legal team attempting to portray him as untrustworthy and motivated by personal gain. Cohen's testimony marked the latest development in his long road of trials and testimonies, which included a 2018 conviction and a 36-month prison sentence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Testimony | 27th February 2019 |
| Day | Wednesday |
| Time | 10 am ET |
| Location | House Oversight Committee |
| Testimony Against | Donald Trump |
| Topic | Trump's business conduct |
| Evidence | Financial documents, letters, and a copy of a check |
| Cohen's Occupation | Lawyer, Trump's fixer |
| Cohen's Sentence | 36 months in prison |
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What You'll Learn
Michael Cohen's testimony on Trump's hush money scheme
On May 13, 2024, Michael Cohen, former lawyer and fixer to Donald Trump, testified during the ex-president's New York criminal trial. Cohen's testimony directly implicated Trump in a hush money scheme aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. Cohen, the prosecution's star witness, placed Trump at the center of the scheme, stating that the former president had orchestrated and was central to the plan.
Cohen testified that Trump directed him to make a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who was threatening to go public with claims of a past sexual encounter with Trump. Cohen also revealed that Trump had signed off on Allen Weisselberg's plan to reimburse him for the payment. He further stated that Trump wanted to be updated immediately on any developments regarding tasks he had assigned and had an "open-door policy" for executives to meet with him without an appointment.
Cohen's testimony also provided insights into Trump's involvement in falsifying business records. Prosecutors alleged that Trump classified hush money payments as legal services pursuant to a retainer agreement, which Cohen denied existed. Cohen's admissions of previous lies and his criminal record were used by Trump's lawyers to paint him as an untrustworthy witness. However, Cohen maintained his composure during cross-examination, refusing to take the bait on personal and humiliating lines of questioning.
The implications of Cohen's revelations are significant, challenging the legal defenses of the former president and potentially altering his political and personal future. Cohen's testimony connects Trump to deliberate efforts to influence the 2016 election outcome by silencing accusations of past indiscretions. It remains to be seen whether Trump will testify to directly rebut Cohen's claims.
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Cohen's credibility questioned
Michael Cohen's credibility has been questioned by several people and media outlets. Cohen, the former lawyer and fixer of Donald Trump, testified against his former boss in a Manhattan courthouse in May 2024. Cohen's testimony implicated Trump in a hush money scheme aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign.
Cohen's credibility was challenged by Trump's legal team, who tried to portray him as a liar and an untrustworthy witness. Trump's lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, highlighted inconsistencies in Cohen's previous testimonies and raised questions about his dubious practices, such as surreptitiously recording phone calls. Blanche also suggested that Cohen's memory of specific phone calls could be unreliable.
Outside of the courtroom, Cohen's credibility has been debated by media figures and commentators. Some have pointed to his history of lying and making false statements, including pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and tax evasion in 2018. However, others have found his testimony credible, noting that he owned up to his mistakes and provided a relatable narrative of Trump's rise to power.
Cohen's credibility is crucial to the case, as he is the key witness directly implicating Trump in the hush money scheme and related falsification of business records. The outcome of the trial may depend on whether the jury finds Cohen's testimony believable.
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Cohen's career and earnings from criticising Trump
Michael Cohen, an American lawyer, served as an attorney for Donald Trump from 2006 to 2018. Cohen was also the vice president of the Trump Organization and personal counsel to Trump, often described as his "fixer". In 2016, Cohen was involved in Trump's successful presidential campaign. Cohen was also a board member of the Eric Trump Foundation, a children's health charity.
In 2018, Cohen was fired from the Trump Organization and pleaded guilty to eight charges, including campaign-finance violations, tax fraud, and bank fraud. Cohen said he violated campaign finance laws at Trump's direction to influence the 2016 presidential election. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a hush-money scheme involving Stormy Daniels, an adult film actor. Cohen also facilitated payments to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, who allegedly had an affair with Trump. Cohen secretly recorded conversations with Trump, including one about a potential hush payment to the publisher of the National Enquirer.
Cohen's criticism of Trump has come in the form of testimony before Congress and interviews with the media. In his testimony, Cohen directly implicated Trump in the WikiLeaks plot to distribute Democratic National Committee emails stolen by Russian intelligence officers, the porn actress payoff, bank fraud, and lying to Congress about efforts to build Trump Tower Moscow. Cohen's testimony provided evidence for potential articles of impeachment against Trump.
Cohen has also warned Trump's new staffers about the risks of working for him and the fallout that many of his former allies, including himself, have faced. Cohen's caution comes from his personal experience of facing legal consequences for his work for Trump, while Trump has remained relatively unscathed due to his position as President.
Cohen's earnings from criticising Trump are unclear, but he has profited from writing books about his experiences with Trump. During a 2024 Donald Trump criminal trial, it was revealed that Cohen made $3.4 million from two books he wrote after leaving Trump's orbit. Cohen has also faced severe financial problems due to enormous legal bills, reportedly owing nearly $2 million to the IRS.
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Cohen's prison sentence and disbarment
Michael Cohen, former US President Donald Trump's lawyer and self-described "fixer", was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2018. He pleaded guilty to eight charges, including tax evasion, making false statements to a federally insured bank, and campaign finance violations. Cohen concealed more than $4 million in personal income from the IRS, made false statements to obtain a $500,000 home equity loan, and caused two separate payments to women to ensure they did not disclose alleged affairs with a presidential candidate.
Cohen was also sentenced to two months in prison, to be served concurrently with his three-year sentence, for making false statements to Congress about the proposed Trump Tower Moscow deal. He lied about the deal's duration and his receipt of a response from a senior Russian official.
In addition to imprisonment, Cohen was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine, forfeit $500,000, and pay $1,393,858 in restitution to the IRS. He reported to federal prison near Otisville, New York, in May 2019. In 2020, he was placed under house arrest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cohen's sentence ended in November 2021, and he has since become a vocal Trump critic.
Regarding disbarment, the New York state Supreme Court in Manhattan disbarred Cohen in February 2019. In New York, conviction of a federal felony triggers disbarment if the offense would be a felony under state law. Cohen's conviction for making false statements to Congress met this criterion, leading to his disbarment.
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Cohen's testimony on Trump's business conduct
Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, testified against his ex-boss in a civil business fraud trial. Cohen, who served as Trump's lawyer for over a decade, claimed that Trump routinely lied about the values of his business properties, inflating them to appear wealthy and secure loans, and deflating them to reduce his tax burden. Cohen also alleged that Trump was aware of the WikiLeaks plan to publish hacked Democratic National Committee emails that contained damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
Cohen admitted to lying to Congress and falsifying campaign finance reports, but he insisted that he did so out of loyalty to his former boss. He described Trump as a "racist, a cheat, and a con man" and accused him of making racist comments about African Americans and black-led countries. Cohen also claimed that Trump had advance knowledge of his son Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with Russian lobbyists during the 2016 election campaign.
In addition, Cohen's testimony revealed Trump's involvement in hush money payments to women alleging sexual encounters with him. Cohen testified that Trump directed these payments to fend off damage to his 2016 presidential campaign. He also stated that Trump wanted to be kept updated on any developments regarding tasks he had assigned and had an "open-door policy" for executives in his office.
Cohen's testimony portrayed Trump's business conduct as deceitful and unethical, with a focus on loyalty rather than competence. It also highlighted the romanticization of leaders in corporate America, which can lead to destructive consequences. Cohen's statements provided an insider's perspective on Trump's business practices and his efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.
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Frequently asked questions
10 am ET.
In a Manhattan courthouse.
Wednesday.
He is a lawyer.
Donald Trump.
